74th Delaware Senior Amateur: Round 1

Roeder leads after 68, McCabe leads Women’s Division

WILMINGTON, Del. – Joe Roeder’s GAP championship drought has reached three years. But he’s not overly concerned about it. 

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His last GAP triumph came in 2022 at the Brewer Cup at Blue Bell Country Club in a 19-hole finale over Ken Phillips of Lancaster Country Club.

Tuesday at Rock Manor Golf Club (par 71, 5,948 yards) Roeder put himself in a great position to get back in the winner’s circle. He fired a round of 68 and holds a three-shot lead heading into Wednesday’s final round.

His round was the only one under par.

“It keeps getting harder and harder to win these events,” Roeder said. “As I get older there are more and more guys who bomb it that are 55 years old. I feel like I can always compete. Some courses set up better for me. This is one of them.”

In the Women’s Division (par 71, 4,953 yards), Muffy McCabe of French Creek Golf Club leads at the halfway point after a round of 81.

“I feel like I have been hitting the ball well all year,” Roeder, 64, of Millsboro, Del., said. “My putting has been substandard. All of a sudden the putter has come back a little bit. I have been struggling with speed and not having four three-putts per round helps the score. My scores have been improving but I don’t feel like I am hitting it any different. That means the putter is shaping up.”

The Merion Golf Club member, who also is a member at The Peninsula Golf & Country Club, put on a ball-striking clinic at Rock Manor. He jumpstarted his round with a birdie on the opener (par 5, 484 yards). He rolled in an eight-footer for the perfect start.

A dart with an 8-iron from 140 yards to 12 feet on No. 4 (par 4, 382 yards) gave him some confidence with the flat stick. A three-putt bogey on No. 8 (par 4, 369 yards) was the lone blemish on his card.

He bounced back immediately with a birdie on No. 9 (par 5, 478 yards). He rocketed a 5-wood from 230 yards over the green, but a savvy pitch to three feet helped him turn in 2 under.

Roeder’s back nine included all pars and he said there were some missed opportunities with the putter. But a 7-iron to a foot on the last (par 3, 173 yards) will make his 1 hour, 40 minute drive back to Millsboro much easier.

“The greens here are in great shape,” Roeder said. “Rock Manor isn’t a bomber’s course. I am definitely not a bomber. It helps that the course is playing around 6,000 yards. You get a lot of wedges into the greens. Inside 120 yards is one of my strengths, so the course sets up well in that regard. There is a lot of trouble. You have to hit it in the right spots. I felt like I accomplished that well today.”

Roeder said the putter has always been a bit of a struggle for him. Speed control issues and uncomfortability. A ball-striking wizard, Roeder felt he wasn’t getting the most out of his rounds.

“For me, I always struggle on greens I am not familiar with,” Roeder said. “This week I went back to my old Odyssey 2-Ball and I feel a little more comfortable. I could have made a few more putts coming in, but I don’t have any complaints.

Roeder, a retired Air Force pilot, is ready for liftoff. A cooperative putter mixed with his ball striking prowess could yield strong results in Wednesday’s final round.

“To succeed Wednesday, I just need to keep doing what I did today,” Roeder, who caddied at Lehigh Country Club growing up, said. “If I just play my game, stay in my element and try to shoot the best score I can on each hole, I feel good. I just like to let the cards fall where they may and not worry about others too much. Staying in my bubble is important.”

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 130,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.